Six months of council rates relief will take some financial pressure off people who have lost their home or small business in the bushfires.
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The state government will cover the full cost of council rates for the third and fourth quarters of this financial year for residents who have lost their homes, and business owners whose properties have been destroyed beyond repair by bushfires.
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council is seeking more information from the state government about the rates relief.
Deputy Premier and Minister Responsible for Disaster Recovery John Barilaro and Local Government Minister Shelley Hancock said the funding was part of the state government's unwavering commitment to do all it could to help communities recover and rebuild from the devastating bushfires.
"Bushfire-affected communities will not have to pay rates on a home which has been lost in the fires," Mr Barilaro said.
"The last thing our communities need right now is more financial stress, which is why the NSW government is doing everything to ease the burden by funding council rates and picking up the bill for the clean-up, at no cost to owners."
Affected residents who have lost their homes and small businesses will soon be able to take their council rates notice for the eligible period to a Service NSW centre and the state government will cover the cost.
Anyone eligible for the rates relief who has already paid their rates will receive a refund.
Mrs Hancock said the impact of the bushfires was truly unprecedented with the tragic loss of more than 2400 homes in NSW.
"It is simply unfair to expect somebody to go through the heartbreak of losing their home and then expect them to pay rates on a property they can no longer live in," she said.
"That's why the government will fund council rates relief for anyone who has lost their home or small business in the bushfire crisis."
Port Macquarie MP Williams welcomed the state government decision to further assist people who have lost their homes in the devastating bushfires.
"Taking the burden away with rates payment relief is one less thing people across the Mid-North Coast and indeed the state will have to worry about as they rebuild their homes and their lives," Mrs Williams said.
Local Government NSW also welcomed the state government's decision.
LGNSW president Cr Linda Scott said: "Councils are most grateful of efforts to ease the burden by funding council rates and for agreeing to cover the cost of the clean-up," she said.
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